Thank you to all our friends and neighbors who ensured the success of the 23rd annual Runner’s Edge – Town of Oyster Bay triathlon. It was our most successful yet (the weather helped!) and — thanks to your cooperation — it was our safest ever, with no reported accidents on the course.
On Saturday, Aug. 28, we staged our biggest ever Junior Triathlon, with nearly 300 youngsters from ages 8 to 13, most of whom were from the local area, taking part in what was for the majority of them their first multi-sport experience. We would like to especially thank our good buddy Phil Bonanza for donating the best ices in the United States to all the youngsters for their enjoyment at the finish line.
We also want to thank Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto for his incredible support for this and so many Town recreational sports events, and Town Parks Commissioner Jim Byrne and the dedicated staff of the Parks Department. It was a pleasure to partner with them once again in making this a truly “feel good” event for so many people.
Our thanks as well to Pastor Raymond Melograne and Co-Pastor Diane Melograne of the North Shore Assembly of God for the special prayer service on Aug. 28, for the safety of the athletes on Saturday afternoon, and for joining us right before the start of the race Sunday morning, Aug. 29, to give all the athletes their blessing.
The biggest thank you of all goes to the residents of those neighborhoods that are on or near the course of the Triathlon. We are well aware that this event can cause you some inconvenience and we appreciate your patience and understanding. We try very hard to be good neighbors, and are open to your reasonable suggestions as to how we can further reduce the inconvenience.
As many of you know, a substantial portion of the proceeds of the event go to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the wonderful work it is doing to fight the deadly scourge of bone cancer. In addition, this year for the first time, we will be making a substantial contribution to an important Oyster Bay community-based charity — the Doubleday Babcock Senior Center.
Again, we welcome your thoughts, your suggestions and any other feedback that you want to give us as we start our plans for 2011. Please feel free to call me at the Club’s office at 349-7646.
Mike Polansky, President
Greater Long Island Running Club
